Automatic switch stand



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March 6, 192s. 1,661,695

W. M. GRAY AUTOMATIC SWITCH STAND Filed March 1. 1927 2 sheets-sheen ,2

l@ n Imke-)afar @Y c. www@ Patented Mar. 6, 1928. i

UNITED STATES y g 1,661,696 PATENT OFFICE.

WALLACE M. GRAY, OF CINCINNATI, OI-IIO, AssIGNoR To THE AMERICAN VALVE AND METER COMPANY, or CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION ,or OHIO.

AUTOMATIC swITCiI STAND.

Application filed March 1, 1927. Serial No. 171,899.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic switch stand. One of its objects is to provide an automatic switch stand adapted to be thrown by hand and also to be thrown automatically by a locomotive or Car, and provided with new and improved and reliable apparatus for such purpose. Another object is to provide an improved automatic switch` stand of the low down 19 type, in which no movement of levers ex- 4in the description of the accompanying drawings, in which: j

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through `an automatic switch stand apparatus embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 Iis a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with portions of the casing broken away.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the actuating shaft detached.

Fig. .f1 is a perspective view of a spring actuated cam member movableendwise upon the actuating shaft.

F'g. 5 is a perspective view of a rocker member or cam disk member detached.

Fig. G is a perspective View of a transmitting ring member, detached.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views illustrating different operative positions of my improved automatic switch mechanism.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention vin which 15 represents the lower section of the r switch'stand casing and 16 represents the upper section of said casing. The sections 15 and 16 are secured together by means of bolts 17, and the line of division between said sections is substantially horizontal and parallel withthe axis of thev actuating shaft 18, so as to form two-part journal bearings 19 and 20 in which said shaft 18 is rotatably supported at opposite ends. The lower casing section 15 is .provided with external ribs 21 along its opposite sides by means of which it may be firmly attached to railway ties at one, side of the switch 'to be actuated. A weighted actuating lever 22 is rigidly attached to `one end of the actuating shaft 18, and is adapted to be swung or turned through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees .from a horizontal position at one side of the shaft 18 to a horizontal position at the opposite side Vof the shaft 18, carrying the shaft 18 withvit through one half of a` rotation .of said shaft.

The middle portion-of kthefshaft 18 is preferably polygonal and has a transverse perforation 261. A rocker member, disk, or short cylinder 25 is centrally perforated to receive the shaft 18 and is hinged or pivotally mounted upon the shaft 18' by means of a hinge pin f or transverseaxle 26, which passes through the transverse perforation 24 in the shaft 18 and through perforated bosses or enlargements 27 carried by the disk 25 and located upon opposite sides of the shaft 18. The enlargements 27 of the I disk 25 upon one side-thereof are extended outwardly to form obtuse wedge shaped cams 28. The disk 25 and cams 28 have a free rotary movement upon the pin 26 through an arc vof say sixty or ninety degrees, being limited by` engagement of the disk with the shaft 18 `against a movement of` greater arc vthan sixty or ninety degrees, as the case may be.

A sleeve 80 `is mounted non-rotatablyv upon the `shaft 18. to move endwise thereon.

The sleeve 80 is provided at one end with a pair of-obtuse wedge shaped cams 31 which are vin position `upon opposite sides of the shaft 18 so as to be engaged by the cams 28 of the' disk 25. The sleeve 80 is alsol provided with `a flange 82 against which one end of a coiled spring 33 bears to force the cams 81 yieldingly into engagement with the cams 28.` The opposite Vend of the spring 88 bears against a nut 84 threaded upon one ,end of the shaft 18 and held rigidly in its adjusted position thereon by a lock nut 85. The shaft 18 vis preferably provided at one end with a shoulder 36 which limits endwise movement in one direction, while either the hub 37 of the lever 22 or the nuts and 85 serve to limit the endwise movement of shaft 18 in the opposite direction. The nuts 31 and 35 may also be employed to adjust the tension upon the spring 33.

It will be noted Vthat the yielding pressure of thecams 31 against the faces of the cams '28 resultsin yieldingly holding the disk 2:5 in a plane at an angle of substantially thirty to forty-live degrees relative to the axis ot' the shaft 18, or at one extreme position ot inclined adjustment ot the disk 25 relative to the shalt 1S, and that torce exerted upon the diskl and cams 2S tending to force the disk 25 toward the opposite limit ot its movement and the sleeve endwise away from the disk 25, would result in the sleeve 3() yielding endwise along the shalt 18 until the nose or point of the cams 2S had passed the nose ot the cams 31. whereupon the spring would assist the moving l'orce to complete the movement of the disk Q5 to the opposite extreme of its Inove ment, and in tact the sleeve 3() and spring would serve to complete the movement of the disk tothe opposite cxtreme ot its movement in the absence ot a moving force, once the nose ol thc cams 28 have passed across the nose ot the cams 31. words the sleeve 30 and spring 33 serve to hold the disk 5 yieldingly at 'one 0r other ol the extremities ot its adjustment relative to ythe shaft 18.

A transmitting ring 40 is journaled upon the periphery ol" the disk 25, and held in place Lthereon by means ot a flange 4l. formed on the ring t0 which embraces one edge of the disk 25, anda separate ring or.

tlangelt which is bolted -to the ring 40 and embraces'the opposite edgeo the disk Q5. Above the shaft 18 the ring Ll0 is provided with a tooth or projection 43 which engages between tbc vforked ends of a crank arm all, which is rigidly attached to the lower end of a vertically disposed target or signal shaft 15, which is journalled in a bearing 46 'formed in the upper section 16 of the casing. The ring Ll() below the shaft 18 provided with a ball t7 which is seated in a socket 48 in one end ot a short link 119, the opposite end ot which link is pivotally connected at 5() to one end ot a connecting bar 52 which slides endwise through a guide way 53 in the lower casing section 15, and which connectingr bar 52 is operatively connected at its opposite end 5i outside ot the switch casing with the railway switch to be actuated thereby in theeusual manner. Ribs (32 carried by section 15 act as lateral guides and supports for link t9 and bar 52. In Figs. 7, `S and 9 I have illustrated diagram matically ditl'erent positions of the switch apparatus, from which it will be apparent l that when the hand lever 22 is employed to throw the switch, the shaft 18 and disk or rocker member 25 retain their relative posi- In other tion but turn or move through one hundred and eighty degrees with the axis of shaft 18 as a center, or from position Fig. 7 to position Fig. 8 while the ring Ll() does not rotate, but is shifted through an inclination ot sixty or ninety degrees vas the case may be due to the rotation ol the disk 25 therein. This inclination of the ring 40 serves to throw the switch through the endwisc movement ot the connecting bar 52, and at the same time the target shaft 45 is shifted through an arc ot ninety degrees by the tooth 425 and crank arm {t4-l. lVhen, however, the switch is thrown by a locomotive passing along the track, the connecting bar 52 is 'forced endwise by the movement ot the switch, say `trom the position Fig. 7 to the position lifig. 9, which forces the ring 4U and with it the disk 25 and cams 28 turning on the pin E26 to a position which is dillerent. relative to the shalt 18, until the nose of the cams 2&5 pass across the nose of the cams 31, whereupon the spring tension o t the springii completes the` movement and shifts the disk 25 to the opposite. extremity ol its movement, carrying the ring l0 therewith and completing the throw oi the switch and connecting bar 52, and also completing the throw ot the target shat't 45, but causing no rotation oi the shaft. 1S, and no movement oi the lover 22.`

The apparatus herein shown and described` is capable `ot considerable modification within the scope o'l the claims without, departing from the spirit ol my invention.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic switch stand comprising a 'switch stand casing, an actuating shaft journaled in said casing and provided with a manually operable lever cxteriorly of' said casing, a rocker member carried by and pivotally mounted upon said actuating sha tt .and having a limited vmovement relative to said actuatii'ig shaft, a cam member carried by and movable endwise relative to said actuating shaft and having an engaging tace held in resilient engagement with a face carried by said pivotally mounted rocker member, a switch actuating connecting rod movable relative to said casing, and means operatively connecting said pivotally mounted rocker member with said switch actuating connecting rod, whereby said connecting rod is adapted to be actuated by said pivotally' mounted rocker through rotation ol' said actuating shaft, and said pivotally ar tuated rocker is adapted to be rocked from one position to another relative to said actuating shaft through actuation ot said switch actuating connecting rod by an autoloo casing, a rocker member carried byand pivotally mounted upon said actuating shaft and having a limited movement relative to said actuating shaft, a cani member carried by and movable endwise relative to said actuating shaft and having an engaging face held in resilient engagement with a face carried by said pivotally mounted rocker member, a switch actuating connecting rod movable relative to said casing, a target shaft journaled to said switch stand and adapted to indicate the position of a switch to which said switch actuated connecting rod is connected, and means operatively connecting said pivotally mounted rocher member with said target shaft and with `said switch actuating connecting i'od whereby said ktarget shaft and switch actuating connecting rod are adapted to be actuated by said pivotaliy mounted rocker member through rotation of said actuating shaft, and said pivotally actuated rocker member and said target shaft are adapted to be shifted from one position to another relative to said actuating shaft through actuation of said switch actuating connecting rod by an automatically actuated switch.

3. An automatic switch stand comprising a switch stand casing, an actuating shaftV journaled in said casing and provided with a manually operable lever exteriorly ofsaid casing, a rocker member carried by and pivotally mounted upon said actuating shaft A and having a limited movement relative to said actuating shaft, cam member car-` ried by and movable endwise relative to said actuating shaft and having anengaging face held in resilient engagement with a face carried by said pivotally mounted rocher member, a switch actuating connecting` rod mounted to move endwise relative-to said casing, and means operatively connecting said pivotally mounted rocker member with said switch actuating connecting rod to actuate endwise thereof said switch actuating connecting rod through rotation of said ac-` tuating shaft and pivotally mounted rocker member, and to shift said pivotally mounted rocker member relative to said actuatingr shaft when said switch actuating` connecting rod is shifted endwise by an automatically actuated switch.

4:. An automatic switch stand comprising a switch stand casing, an actuating shaft journaled in said casing and adapted to be positively rocked through a partial rotation, a. rocker member mounted upon said shaft and having a limited angular adjustment relative to said actuating shaft, means carried by said actuating shaft to yieldingly hold said rocker member at either extremity of its adjustment relative to said actuating shaft, a switch actuating connecting rod, and means operatively connecting said rocker member to said connectingk rod and adapted to actuategsaid connecting rod when said actuating. shaft and rocker member are rocked from one extremity of the movement A of said shaft to the other, and adapted Ato roch said rocker member relative to said actuating shaft when said connecting rod is shifted by an automaticallyl actuated switch.`

5. in automatic -switch stand comprising a switchstand casing, an actuating shaft journaled in said casing and adapted to be positively rocked through a kpartial rotation, a rocker member mounted upon said shaft and having a limited angular adjust-l ment relative to said actuating shaft, means carried'by said actuating shaft to yieldingly hold said rocker member at eithery extremity of its adjustment relative to said actuating j shaft, a target shaft journaled to said switch stand casing, a switch actuating connecting rod, and means operatively connecting said rocker member to said target shaft and to saidconnecting rod, and adapted to actuate said target shaft and connecting rod when said actuating shaft and rocker member are rocked together from one limit of movement of said shaft to the other, and adapted to actuate said target shaft and to rock said rocker member relative to said actuating shaft when said connecting rod is shifted by an automatically actuated switch. i

6. An automatic switch stand comprising a switch stand casing, an actuating shaft journaled in said casing and adapted to bel `positively rocked through a partial rotatarget shaft and connecting rod when said actuating shaft and rocker member are rocked together from one limit of movement of said shaft to the other, and adapted to actuate said target shaft and to rock said rocker `member relative to said actuating shaft when said connecting rod is shifted by an automatically actuated switch.

7. An automatic switch stand comprising a switch stand casing, an actuating shaft journaled in said casing and provided externally of said casing with a manually operable lever adapted to rock said shaft through a partial revolution, a member pivotally mounted upon said actuating shaft within said casing and having a limited rocking movement relative to said actuating shaft, a resiliently energized member adapted to llO 10 meeting rod when saidaetuating shaft and rocker member are rocked by said manually operable lever and adapted to aetuate said target shaft and to rock said rocker member relative to said actuating shaft when said connecting rod is automatically aetnated through automatic actuation of a switch to which it is connected.

In `testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

WALLACE M. GRAY. 

